The Provision of a King
Hey Everyone,
Okay. Yes. I am still alive. No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Am I still willing to keep this blog going? I have NO idea. Let's just say taking a break this summer has been great. Now it's off to college. Whether God wants me to keep this going is up to Him. i.e Whether he gives me the time and the input of what to put on this is up to Him.
This summer has been great. I've been in Indiana working in my old hometown at my home church as an intern (we jokingly call that a slave) working in the office. It's been a stretch in more ways than one, but going into that here would be wrong. God's definitely shown me where my faith needs to grow and has helped me mature in ways I never thought possible. What an awesome God we serve.
I know I usually give you guys a passage of scripture here and then go on, and on, and sometimes go even further... but right now, I don't feel like I can do that. Something God has been teaching me this summer is the difference between teaching only by your input alone (leaving God out of it) and then letting God use your life and Him speaking through you. Something that I've had a hard time grasping because I've had very little example of that growing up except in my family.
But something happened this summer that blew me away at the greatness of our God. And then again, to my shame, it shouldn't have. Let me tell you a story of my incompetance to understand who my God really is. And maybe through that you'll understand Him better.
I left my Home in "igloo land" (if you don't know what or where that is by now... Lord help you) with about $60 in my pocket. I knew that there was no way I was going to survive 2 months with $60 alone, but I also knew that my family wasn't completely mean. My job in Indy wasn't paid (i.e the term "internship") so I just closed my eyes and said a desperate prayer. When I got to my family in the states... my Uncle came through. His response to giving me his money was priceless.
"I know what it's like to stay with a friend and not have money but wanting to pay your own way. Here... take some money." Not wanting to act like a stupid little immature kid, I hugged 'im and thanked him for the money, but inside I was jumping for joy. I had money. I was going to be okay. God was providing. Even though I knew that promise was never going to fail, my faith was soon going to be tested.
When I left my family to start my internship down in southern Indiana after 2 weeks of spending time with them, the unthinkingable happened. Or atleast to me it was unthinkable. In the small town of Alaska, everyone knows everyone. No one locks their car doors, no one worries if their purse is left somewhere. Well, I left my purse in my car... and I was smart enough to atleast hide it under the seat. But when I came back to it, I had $11 instead of $120. A thief with a conscience! Praise God.
A day later, I had to use all but one dollar of that money. And I survived on that $1 for quite sometime. I finally took my money, what I had left of it, which by the time I woke up to the truth and remembered God I only had a few dimes, and knelt by my bed.
"God a few weeks ago I already gave you your 10% of this money... you promised you'd provide. Whether you multiply this money right in front of me now or later on, I'm trusting you. But please just do it. You're teaching me to lean on you, and I just pray you'll teach me to heed every word."
I have to admit, I expected the money to come in 10 minutes later or even a day later. But it didn't. God waited. And waited. And I'm so glad He did. A while later, one of my friends came into the church while I was working and he handed me an envelope just saying "I heard what happened, don't say anything Cass, just take it. I love you."
My mother sent my $40 the next day as well.
Why am I telling you this story? To encourage you. To plead with you not to give up. His time is perfect. He proclaimed that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without Him noticing, what more of a treasure are you? He will provide. Whether it's money, a car, or a broken family that needs to be healed, he is right there. And if He comes to your rescue any sooner, it wouldn't be as perfect as it could be. Believe me, I know.
See ya Around
Cass
Okay. Yes. I am still alive. No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Am I still willing to keep this blog going? I have NO idea. Let's just say taking a break this summer has been great. Now it's off to college. Whether God wants me to keep this going is up to Him. i.e Whether he gives me the time and the input of what to put on this is up to Him.
This summer has been great. I've been in Indiana working in my old hometown at my home church as an intern (we jokingly call that a slave) working in the office. It's been a stretch in more ways than one, but going into that here would be wrong. God's definitely shown me where my faith needs to grow and has helped me mature in ways I never thought possible. What an awesome God we serve.
I know I usually give you guys a passage of scripture here and then go on, and on, and sometimes go even further... but right now, I don't feel like I can do that. Something God has been teaching me this summer is the difference between teaching only by your input alone (leaving God out of it) and then letting God use your life and Him speaking through you. Something that I've had a hard time grasping because I've had very little example of that growing up except in my family.
But something happened this summer that blew me away at the greatness of our God. And then again, to my shame, it shouldn't have. Let me tell you a story of my incompetance to understand who my God really is. And maybe through that you'll understand Him better.
I left my Home in "igloo land" (if you don't know what or where that is by now... Lord help you) with about $60 in my pocket. I knew that there was no way I was going to survive 2 months with $60 alone, but I also knew that my family wasn't completely mean. My job in Indy wasn't paid (i.e the term "internship") so I just closed my eyes and said a desperate prayer. When I got to my family in the states... my Uncle came through. His response to giving me his money was priceless.
"I know what it's like to stay with a friend and not have money but wanting to pay your own way. Here... take some money." Not wanting to act like a stupid little immature kid, I hugged 'im and thanked him for the money, but inside I was jumping for joy. I had money. I was going to be okay. God was providing. Even though I knew that promise was never going to fail, my faith was soon going to be tested.
When I left my family to start my internship down in southern Indiana after 2 weeks of spending time with them, the unthinkingable happened. Or atleast to me it was unthinkable. In the small town of Alaska, everyone knows everyone. No one locks their car doors, no one worries if their purse is left somewhere. Well, I left my purse in my car... and I was smart enough to atleast hide it under the seat. But when I came back to it, I had $11 instead of $120. A thief with a conscience! Praise God.
A day later, I had to use all but one dollar of that money. And I survived on that $1 for quite sometime. I finally took my money, what I had left of it, which by the time I woke up to the truth and remembered God I only had a few dimes, and knelt by my bed.
"God a few weeks ago I already gave you your 10% of this money... you promised you'd provide. Whether you multiply this money right in front of me now or later on, I'm trusting you. But please just do it. You're teaching me to lean on you, and I just pray you'll teach me to heed every word."
I have to admit, I expected the money to come in 10 minutes later or even a day later. But it didn't. God waited. And waited. And I'm so glad He did. A while later, one of my friends came into the church while I was working and he handed me an envelope just saying "I heard what happened, don't say anything Cass, just take it. I love you."
My mother sent my $40 the next day as well.
Why am I telling you this story? To encourage you. To plead with you not to give up. His time is perfect. He proclaimed that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without Him noticing, what more of a treasure are you? He will provide. Whether it's money, a car, or a broken family that needs to be healed, he is right there. And if He comes to your rescue any sooner, it wouldn't be as perfect as it could be. Believe me, I know.
See ya Around
Cass
posted by Cass | 11:24 AM
8 Comments:
Hello,
Very nice post. Could you elaborate a little by this quote please.
"I know I usually give you guys a passage of scripture here and then go on, and on, and sometimes go even further... but right now, I don't feel like I can do that. Something God has been teaching me this summer is the difference between teaching only by your input alone (leaving God out of it) and then letting God use your life and Him speaking through you. Something that I've had a hard time grasping because I've had very little example of that growing up except in my family."
What did you exactly mean by "leaving God out of it." Wouldn't you agree that God is in "it" all whatever that "it" might be?
In Prayers,
-AgapeTheologian
Cass,
Thank you for making comments on my blog. I'm sorry, I really didn't introduce myself, I found from TheRebelution's forum. I love that site.
I do appreciate that you made your opinion on my blog. I want to respond to your comments. I hope that my comment(s) will come across graciously and lovingly; I know in emails, blogs, etc, it may come across as the opposite but you should know that my spirit while writing is a loving spirit.
With that said, "God can not make us love Him." Why won't He do that? I do not see this going agaisnt Scripture at all.
Rom 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
Rom 9:15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
If we look a few verses before, it says, "Rom 9:11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call"
So again, why won't God cause some to love Him and cause others not to treasure Him?
Joh 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you"
Can't God mould us to be whomever He wants us to be?
You wrote, "That's the sovreign"ness" of God... He lets us make our own decision, even if in our shallow ways of seeing things, it makes him appear weak."
I don't believe that is theologically correct. It may be, but it depends on how you would elaborate on that sentence. God has laid out what will happen before the foundation of the world and has planned out what is going to occur. Otherwise, how would God know that Jesus was going to come through the lineage of David? How did He know that Jesus would never sin? Therefore Sovereign should be defined as, God knows all, plans all, and is in all situations. This is a very basic definition, but I think it will do for now.
Before I let you go, I will openly admit I don't understand how God's sovereign will and my human will work. God says I am responsible. Am I really? You bet! But if God is sovereign, is His hand is in it? Yes! Does it make sense? Not at all!
That is all for now. Keep looking to Christ. Keep your eyes in scripture, as you have been doing. Thank you for your prayer, I desperatly need them...Always in need of more. :)
Praying for you sister,
-AgapeTheologian
In response to your questions,
1.do you believe in a free will?
Free Will is a funny thing. Free will is a very misleading thing. I could say yes in a sense and no in another. I believe in human will. I do chose to committ different acts, some good and some bad, but my will never overrides God and His Sovereignty. So, do I make a willful act? Yes. I do chose because God wants me to. God doesn't cause me to go agaisnt my will, I willfully want to do choose.
2.Free will is what makes this relationship of a man and the almighty God so amazing.
What makes God relationship to man so amazing in the grace that God freely gives. I have no right to have a relationship with God. None! Why does God desire to have one with me? Because my relationship with Him brings Him glory! All I can do it praise God
3.but God's love is, just like your name... agape... I guess the question above all questions is, DO you (do I?) know the meaning of that? And if you do, why is it so hard to let God use a sinful human's free will?
No one will fully understand, "agape". But God has shown me so much love because of His grace. Because of His will, not because of mine.
Before I continue, do you believe man(You and I) are good enough that we can choose God on our own? Can Man's will overpower God? Why can't God do what He wants with His creation? He's God, we are not.
Thank you for your gracious, "agape" comment on my blog. I do appreciate your time and I hope our "discussion", "debate", whatever you want to call it brings glory to Christ.
Take Care,
-AgapeTheologian
I love you so much I've done A, B, C and D for you, but I want you to come on your own and worship me." And in all reality, that IS the best timing. Which God would you choose? For more reasons than one... I pick the latter.
First off, I am extremely tired, so this post will be short.
My fear is however that you are basing your theology off of your own thinking instead of basing theology off of scripture. With that said, please don't take that as being too harsh and what not. Please carefully think about it. I would love to hear your response.
You say which God do I choose? I do choose the God who ordains everything, the God who has planned out the world, the God who has written names in the Book of Life before creation even occured. Even though this theology goes agaisnt my nature of what makes sense, we are talking about God...Who can comprehend God? This God is found in the Bible. I will try to make a few blog post with scripture evidence and I would like to hear your response.
We have written logic to one another, now I believe is time where we search scipture for our answer.
Thanks again for your gracious tone in your writing. I really appreciate that. I do hope this comes across to you the same way, even though I am exhausted. Have a good night.
In Prayers,
-Agape
I just made my first post on this subject, let me know what you think and what you have to say agaisnt it...Thanks.
-AgapeTheologian
Hi Cass! I love your posts, they make me smile and I love how despite your difficulties with your health talk so openly and honestly, your are a huge encouragement to many and God uses you to Bless others, I wish we could meet up for coffee!
God Bless you Cass you are an inspiration!
Love Helen x.
Hey Cass, this is such a great post! Thanks! I really needed to hear that. I'm seeking God about a lot of things, and while I want him to answer me now, I must remember to wait on Him. He is faithful. Psalm 27:7-8 "Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said,'Seek my face.'My heart says to you, 'Your face, LORD, do I seek.'" Psalm 27:13-14, I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"
Oops. Didn't mean to anonymous. This last comment was me, Daniel Gilman.
How is life?
God bless you, Cass!
Daniel
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